9 Implications of temporal and spatial scale Atlantic salmon (Sarmo sa/ar) research

for Abstract: The Atlantic salmon (Sulmo sulur) is a model species for studying scale issues (i.e., the extent, duration, and resolution of a study or natural process) in ecology. Major shifts in behavior and habitat use over ontogeny, along with a relatively long life span and large dispersal and migration distances, make scale issues critical for effective conservation, management, and restoration of this species. The scale over which a process occurs must be linked to the research design and we illustrate this with a discussion of resource tracking by Atlantic salmon. Identifying scale inconsistencies (e.g.. when a process is evident at one scale but not another) is shown to be an effective means by which some scale-dependent processes are understood. We review the literature to assess the temporal and spatial scales used in Atlantic salmon research and find most current studies appear to sacrifice spatial and temporal extent for increased resolution. Finally, we ’ discuss research strategies for expanding the temporal and spatial scales in salmon research, such as conducting multiple scales studies to elucidate scale inconsistencies, identifying mechanisms, and using techniques and approaches to generalize across studies and over time and space. RCsumC: Le saumon de I’atlantique (Sulmo sulur) est une esptce modtle pour l’ttude des probltmes d’kchelle (c’est-A-dire]’&endue, la dur6e et la rksolution d’une Ctude ou d’un processus naturel) en Ccologie. Les changements majeurs dans le comportement et I’utilisation de I’habitat durant la vie du saumon atlantique, ainsi que la IongtvitC relativemen